My Little Babe

My Little Babe loves to get right in the middle of the action when it comes to hunting. I guess taking her along since she was just a toddler has paid off. I shot a couple grouse in Logan Canyon with her when she was 2 years old. I was cleaning the birds and she said "look Dad you have sauce on your hands".

She graduated from this naivety, to a morbid sense of curiosity that led to a routine of poking and prodding of all the dead animals I bring home. Both her and her brother started to cry when I cut the tongue out of my 2006 Idaho deer. I removed the tongue so it wouldn't be hanging out in the photos, but the kids were so upset because they had been looking forward to poking the deer in the eye and tongue with a stick since the year before. Despite the disappointment, Preslie still had me take a couple photos together with her and the deer, and even made me take one of just her with the buck.

Preslie is a good little carnivore, and loves to eat wild game. She devours deer and elk steak and usually eats more than Tristie. Preslie has eaten deer, elk, pheasant, forest grouse, wild turkey, sage grouse, and loves trout. She yells at me if I try to practice "catch and release" fishing, and can't wait to get home and eat all the fish she catches. While I was field dressing a pheasant under her watch, she saw the breast and said "look at all the yummy meat Dad". Last fall when I brought home my Utah deer Preslie was so excited to help me cut up the meat. She sat with me at the table the whole time and even had her own knife to help. I had to take the knife away from her out of fear for both our safety, but she made me promise that I would let her butcher my deer all by herself when she is 7 years old. Sounds like a good deal to me. The funny thing is that her younger brother named "Hunter" doesn't seem nearly as interested in hunting or fishing. Maybe when he gets older?

She can't wait until she is 12 and gets to hunt big game for herself. I am almost as excited as she is. It is great to have a hunting buddy like my Little Babe.